Well, I've got the route tentatively worked for the here - there leg, in what my friend has dubbed the "big damn road trip" route:

Crete, Il ->St. Louis, MO - look at the big damn arch
St. Louis, MO -> Amarillo, TX - eat the big damn steak
Amarillo, TX -> Grand Caynon, AZ - look at the big damn hole
Grand Canyon, AZ -> Los Angeles, CA - hang out with the big damn fools (my buddies)

Anyone have any more ideas for things to see or do that are more or less along that route?

As for the trip back, I am trying to decide between a route that takes me through San Francisco, Reno, Utah, and Colorado, or a route that goes through San Francisco, Oregon, Washington, Montana and North Dakota. I guess it kinda depends on how much money I can set aside for gas.